Septum Piercing (With Clamps, Painless)

I recently turned 18, and I decided it was about time I got a piercing for myself. I have my nostril and navel pierced, as well as my tragus, and previously had my lobes stretched to 5/8". My tragus and nostril were both pierced at Tan-tastic, the studio I went to for my septum piercing. It is clean and reputable.

I asked Sharron, the piercer, how much the piercing would be, and viewed my jewelry options. The establishment doesn't pierce with retainers, as people have complained about them falling out overnight, causing the piercings to close up. I chose the standard horseshoe with small stopper balls on the end. I worried that this kind of jewelry wouldn't be completely hidden when flipped up, but it is in fact 100% invisible when flipped. Sharron handed me the aftercare and information slips, and set up and cleaned the piercing room as I filled them out.

As soon as I filled out the forms, she took me back into the room and had me sit on a chair with my back against the wall. She felt inside my nose and pointed out my "sweet spot" to me, and set up the clamps. I've never had clamps used before, but I've always heard that they hurt a lot. I was worried until she got them aligned; I didn't find them painful or uncomfortable whatsoever. She had me tilt my head back against the wall, and I closed my eyes. She told me to take a breath, and I knew she had the needle lined up. I did not feel any pain, I can only describe it as a poke to a tender area, if that. I was expecting some discomfort or to hear an awful crunching, but neither of those were even issues. To both of our surprise, my eyes hardly watered (my eyes water terribly when I get my eyebrows waxed, it looks like I've been crying) but not even a single tear actually trickled out. She put the balls onto the jewelry and had to open the actual ends of it so it could be flippe
d up comfortably.

Though none of my piercings have ever actually hurt me, this one caused my ears to ring, and I felt a little light headed after she had me look in the mirror. There was some bleeding, but it had stopped by the time I got into my car.

There was no pain or discomfort involved with this piercing. It is COMPLETELY hidden very easily, and was absolutely worth getting. I can't stress enough that, if you are going to keep your ring flipped up like I do, not to touch it without first cleaning your hands. Also, don't move the piercing when it is dry, because crust may have formed around the wound and it will hurt really bad to try and flip without gently wiping them away.

Aftercare:

I was worried about how I was going to clean it, I didn't want to make a mess in my sink. I established a system that works really well for me. While I shower, I use a shot glass full of fresh warm water and I rest my nose into it to loosen up any crust. I then take a q-tip and put a very small amount of dial unscented antibacterial soap onto one side (barely coat the q-tip in soap, you don't want too much). I gently roll the q-tip around the piercing on each side, and then slowly wiggle the jewelry back and forth. I then fill the shot glass up with fresh water, and submerge my nose into it again to rinse out the soap. Once I'm sure all the soap is out, I tear a cotton ball into small pieces (usually 1 cotton ball gives me 4 small pieces). I spray two pieces of the cotton ball with h2ocean and stick them into my nostrils for a few minutes while I wash my face or my hair. This is an easier way for me to do the sea salt soak, because I don't actually have to measure the salt:wa
ter ratio. After the soak, I rinse with the shot glass of fresh water for the final time, and flip my ring back up into my nose. When I dry off after the shower, I gently stick a dry q-tip into my nose to wipe around the area and collect any dried blood/crust/excess moisture. I will continue to do this 2 times a day until the piercing is completely healed in about 3 months. It's convenient if you are 1) hiding your septum piercing or 2) trying to avoid a mess in the bathroom sink.

To anyone who is afraid to get this piercing because of the pain, relax. Expect a little discomfort and pain with any body modification, as it isn't a sensation your body is used to. Mental preparation has always helped me. It wasn't painful at all for me, and it was well worth getting. If you really want it, the few moments of potential pain are nothing compared to a lifetime of happiness with your body. Just remember, be safe and follow your piercer's advice.

Details

submitted by: Anonymouson: 21 Dec. 2009in
Nose Piercing

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Artist: SharronStudio: Tan-tasticLocation: Manassas%2C+VA

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